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Skelly (Halloween decoration)

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A Skelly decoration in October 2020

12-Foot Giant-Sized Skeleton, colloquially known as Skelly, is a 12-foot-tall skeleton lawn decoration created by Home Depot for Halloween.

Description and use

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The home improvement corporation Home Depot created a 12-foot-tall skeleton lawn decoration made with metal pipe and LCD eyes.[1] Listed as "12-Foot Giant-Sized Skeleton" on its website, the skeleton became colloquially known as "Skelly".[2]

Home Depot also produces a 7-foot skeletal dog decoration, called "Skelly's Dog", to serve as a companion decoration.[3][4]

Development

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The lawn decoration was created in Home Depot's research and development department by Lance Allen and Rachel Little. After developing hundreds of skeletons, as a secret project, they set out to create a large skeleton. They did not think that 10 feet would be grand enough, and increased its height to 12 feet, that of a basketball hoop. At that height, they took anatomical liberties to make Skelly appear realistic, such as shortening the neck from appearing too long. Other constraints included a reasonable price and ease of transport home for setup. Allen described their team as being impressed when Skelly was unveiled in a conference room. The skeleton was first released in 2020 and continued to sell through 2023, when it was sold out for the holiday.[1] In 2024, Home Depot created an updated version of Skelly with customizable glowing LED eyes. The eyes feature different pre-set designs that allow it to be used for different holidays aside from just Halloween.[5] Home Depot also released a limited-edition "servo Skelly", an animatronic version of the decoration that uses motors to move.[6]

In response to Skelly's popularity, Home Depot has produced other large Halloween decorations, although none have sold as well as Skelly.[7]

Reception

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Skelly has become a very popular product, often being sold out from Home Depot inventories in the Halloween season.[1] Skelly is also popular year-round, and is occasionally used to celebrate other holidays such as Christmas by putting a giant Santa suit on him.[8][9][10] Skelly has developed an online fandom, including a Facebook group called the "12 Foot Skeleton Owners Group".[11]

Skelly went viral on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic from consumers showing the skeleton either as it is or in different costume or locations. Examples include showing Skelly with custom clothes, flashy jewelry, and as an accessory in a car. In 2023, owners of Skelly dressed it as Taylor Swift to coincide with her Eras Tour.[12] The hashtag "12footskeleton" had over 89 million views on TikTok by 2023. After its original virality, Skelly continued to feature in parody articles and fan videos.[1] Skelly is also the subject of Internet memes.[13]

Skelly's year-round popularity has caused it to run afoul with homeowner associations in the United States, and owners of it have faced fines for displaying it outside of the Halloween season.[11] There is also a resale market online for used Skellies.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Diaz, Ana (October 31, 2023). "Home Depot made hundreds of skeletons before perfecting its 12-foot star, Skelly". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Henschel, Haley (August 18, 2023). "Home Depot's beloved 12-foot skeleton is officially sold out online for 2023". Mashable. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Legg, Kelsey; DelBasso, Casey. "Shop Home Depot's thrilling outdoor decor for a hauntingly festive season". Good Morning America. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  4. ^ "The Home Depot's Newest Giant Skeleton Has a Moving Head to Go with Its Creepy Animated Eyes". People.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  5. ^ "Trick-or-Treaters Ignored My Yard. So I Got a Fancy 12-Foot Skeleton". The New York Times. September 13, 2024. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Webster, Andrew (July 17, 2024). "Home Depot's viral giant skeleton has some upgrades — and lots of new friends". The Verge. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Kurzius, Rachel (October 4, 2023). "Home Depot just can't top Skelly, the 12-foot king of Halloween". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  8. ^ Witsil, Frank (October 26, 2023). "Giant 12-foot skeletons often linger on lawns past Halloween". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  9. ^ Willingham, A. J. (October 5, 2022). "How a 12-foot skeleton became the hottest Halloween decoration around". CNN. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Spears, Hunter (October 9, 2023). "Halloween Bone-Anza: These Giant Skeletons Are Haunting Yards Around DC". Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Liebergall, ByMolly; Merritt, Matty. "The Home Depot 12-foot-tall skeleton's nemesis: HOAs". Morning Brew. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "It's Almost Swiftober: Celebrate with a Swiftie-Themed 12-Foot Home Depot Skelly". Better Homes & Gardens. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Henschel, Haley (October 31, 2022). "Live, laugh, LifeEyes™️: How the 12-foot Home Depot skeleton became a perennial hit". Mashable. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  14. ^ Debter, Lauren. "The Market For 12-Foot Halloween Skeletons Isn't What It Used To Be". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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